Excellent Lectures for the Small Business Owner

Posted on
January 17th, 2011

Whether you have an MBA or are starting your own business before finishing your undergraduate work, there's more to learn about business than what you get out of classes and textbooks. Supplement your traditional coursework — and even your own experience — by listening to these innovative, insightful and gutsy business leaders who've got a lot to teach you about venture capital, collaboration, the new culture of leadership, and more.

Entrepreneurship

These lectures tackle topics in entrepreneurship, from appealing to the consumer to making great pitches.

Entrepreneurs: Four entrepreneurs share their journeys to open a new business, and the talks inspire passion and excitement.

Entrepreneurship and Society: This talk from UCTV is led by Tom Kemp, President and CEO of Centrify Corporation. He talks about what new ventures need in order to effectively appeal to the modern-day consumer.

Women Entrepreneurs: Consider the differences between men and women as business leaders and owners.

Entrepreneurs: Then and Now: Guy Kawasaki compares the foundation of entrepreneurial strategy during the late 1990s and what's popular and effective now.

Leadership and Entrepreneurship: This lecture from MIT World features three business leaders from completely different fields but who have relied on their instincts and bold ideas to get their ideas off the ground.

Whatever it Takes to Stay in Business: Frank Levinson encourages entrepreneurs to lose their pride, just like a baby, in order to please their customers and stay in business, whatever it takes.

New Media Entrepreneurship: This talk is from 2008 but still has valuable tips on developing a good, emotional, factual pitch and going for the gold in order to move up in business.

Marketing a Start-up: Learn how to develop a smart marketing strategy before attempting to sell anything.

The Case for Sustainability: Sustainability isn't really an option for new business owners in today's society: it's a necessity. Here you'll learn how to develop a sustainable, environmentally conscious business that's also attractive to consumers.

The Naked Corporation: Learn how to be a more transparent and honest business owner, in an age when positivity is just as important as profitability.

Challenges of Managing: Firing People: Gajus Worthington is a proponent of firing employees in order to produce a healthy, successful business. This 22-part lecture series offers tips for firing and recruiting.

Business Ethics: These lectures given by top business executives and professors will clue you into integrity, corporate responsibility, and ethical leadership culture in the business world.

A Policy on Leadership: If your business is struggling — or you want to prevent a fallout — watch this lecture to learn how to create a fact-based analytical organization and good management teams.

Values-Based Leadership: Strive to be a leader with character, and you'll end up inspiring your employees to work just as hard as you do.

Innovative Leadership during Economic Crisis: Let this lecture help you to think outside the box, no matter what kind of crisis is getting in your way. You'll learn how to be innovative in three areas: with customers, people, and products.

How great leaders inspire action: Simon Sinek's TED speech uses examples like Martin Luther King, Apple and the Wright brothers to explain how the mark of a great leader is his or her ability to inspire action and change.